


Paying the Piper

by Morgana



Category: Angel: the Series, Merry Gentry - Laurell K Hamilton
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 16:45:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgana/pseuds/Morgana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A hundred years ago, Angelus made a deal, and now Angel's the one who'll have to pay up</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_"Give it up, boy! You can try to be the Big Bad, play with the Slayer and boss around as many minions as you want, but in the end you're mine. You will always. Be. Mine!"_  
 __  
A long moan of pleasure answered the claim. "Yes, sire! Yours... always."  
  
The words fairly shimmered in the air, becoming almost tangible things that felt as if they would linger long after the sound died away. Silence filled the chamber, a weighty, pregnant quiet that was broken by the soft purr of a woman's voice. "Bring them to me before the moon rises or face Ezekiel's pleasure."  
  
"Yes, my Queen." A ripple in the shadows that surrounded them was the only sign aside from the quiet assent that her words had been heard, but it was enough. He would see it done, of that she had no question. Rising from her dressing table, she started for her closet. It was very important that she look her best... after all, William was coming home.  
  
Even if he didn't know it yet.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
Spike lay quietly in the aftermath of the best sex he'd had in a century. A small patch of singed flesh caught his eye and he raised his hand, pressing a kiss to his fingertips before smoothing them over the wound. "Sorry about that, pet. I really didn't mean -"  
  
"Shhh, I know. It's okay; I'll heal. Part of the whole vampire package, remember?"  
  
"Yeah." He smiled and snuggled closer, turning the events of the last few days over in his mind. When he found the Gem of Amara, he'd never expected the dizzying whirl that had been set in motion. In less than 48 hours, he'd been bested by the Slayer and almost set on fire, gone to LA where he captured his sire for a nice spot of torture, lost the ring to the traitor he'd hired and, in the most stunning turn of all, been reclaimed by said sire. "So... do we have the whole talk about meanin' an' stuff now, or later?"  
  
Angel kissed the tousled white-blond curls and whispered, "Go to sleep. We'll figure things out in the morning." Not that there would be much to really talk about. His boy was by his side again, and he wasn't about to make the mistake of letting him leave. Not again.  
  
Closing his eyes, the vampire followed his childe into sleep, too tired and contented to notice the way the shadows in the corner near his bed swirled and shifted before settling back into place once more.


	2. Chapter 2

"Angel, you've gotta hear this - we were at that new Chinese place, and they had these placemats with the Chinese zodiac, and Wesley was born in the year of the pig, which is perfect because he's a - OH MY GOD! WESLEY!!"   
  
Cordelia's shriek woke him up, and Angel opened his eyes just in time to see the door slam shut and hear her heels clicking rapidly up the stairs. He sighed, wondering why he couldn't seem to catch a break. Tossing the covers back, he started to get up when a voice mumbled, "Whozzat?"  
  
Smiling down at his sleepy childe, Angel leaned down to kiss his forehead. "I've just gotta tell everybody that you'll be staying. Go back to sleep and I'll be right back, okay?" He watched the blue eyes flutter shut once more before he stood up and went to pull a pair of pants and sweatshirt on. Once he was as close to dressed as he wanted to be, he headed for his door only to be met on the stairs with a large cross shoved almost in his face.  
  
Growling, he flinched back right before a crossbow bolt went whizzing past his shoulder. "Watch it, would you?" Angel snapped, glaring at the two humans who didn't seem at all contrite over nearly killing their employer.  
  
"You wanna tell me why there's a naked vampire in your bed instead of a big pile of bleached dust by the door?" Cordy asked, giving him a bright smile.  
  
"Especially when said naked vampire happens to be none other than William the Bloody?" Wesley added.  
  
Angel swallowed hard, then gave them both a sheepish look. "Uhhh, not really."  
  
"Tough. Cause you're gonna have to work harder than that to convince me you're not evil, buster." But she lowered the cross anyway. "Besides, you've got a client, which means I've got a chance to make more than just the minimum payment on my credit card this month."  
  
While he might ordinarily have complained about being woken up for a client in the middle of the day, today Angel decided to be thankful that whoever it was had distracted Cordy from what otherwise would have been a long and extraordinarily painful lecture on souls, happiness and Spike. He nodded and followed them upstairs, reaching out to catch hold of Wesley's arm when it looked like the Englishman intended to remain on the staircase within easy shooting range of the door.  
  
"I'll explain later," he promised, then turned to greet the waiting client, but the forced smile Cordelia had been making him practice faded instantly when he caught sight of glittering onyx eyes. He didn't need to look at the ears of the man who stood before him, but he glanced anyway and the confirmation made his stomach tighten. "Doyle," he said in a low voice, ignoring the gasp of surprise from Cordelia at the sound of their dead friend's name.  
  
The other man nodded. "Angelus." Eyes as dark as coal studied him, no hint of curiosity or indeed any emotion showing on the impassive features. "You know why I have been sent."  
  
A bitter taste filled his mouth, but Angel swallowed it down and nodded. "Yeah. Let's talk in my office, okay?" He turned to go into the other room when a hand shot out to grab his shoulder.  
  
"We will talk here. Your tricks have not been forgotten," Doyle stated flatly. "And while I could handle whatever you might wish to attempt, the time it would take for you to heal afterwards would slow our journey. My queen -"  
  
Shit. "Cordelia, would you and Wesley take some blood down to - uh, to my apartment? I just got some fresh stuff in."  
  
The brunette folded her arms and gave him a look that made it clear she had no intention of moving. Angel shot her a pleading glance, mutely imploring her to understand and do as he asked, and eventually she sighed and nodded. "Fine. But if I have to sweep things up down there, just know that it's so totally not my fault." Tossing her head, she headed downstairs with Wesley following her closely, crossbow in hand.  
  
Angel didn't have time to worry about what might happen when Spike saw his friends, because as soon as they were gone, that low, even voice stated, "You will make yourselves ready and we will leave at sunset. My queen has commanded your presence before the new moon, and I will not see her disappointed again."  
  
"Look, Doyle... I can't just -" A raised hand silenced him.  
  
"He has given himself into your care once more." The flat tone made it clear that the words were not a question, but Angel nodded anyway. "Thus is he yours to do with as you will."  
  
His stomach tightened into a knot with the thought of the betrayal that he was being ordered to commit. "I can't," he tried to explain again. "It's not - things aren't like they used to be. He's... changed, grown -"  
  
"Stronger." Dark eyes gleamed. "He will be a credit to us, even more than he already was to be." Angel opened his mouth to argue but a green glow burst from the hand in the darkness, the light casting eerie shadows on Doyle's hard features. He remembered that glow, the memory of what it could do still vivid after more than two centuries. "Enough. You made your choice long ago, Angelus, when you stole what was ours by right. Tell your humans and your childe what you wish, but the three of us will depart at sunset."  
  
The tall figure stepped back into the shadows, melting into the darkness there until he seemed to vanish from sight. But Angel knew better than to trust in his absence- even if Doyle was gone for now, he would be back. With a heavy sigh, the vampire headed downstairs to explain to his friends that he had to leave for a little while. He wasn't worried about the humans, but how on earth was he going to tell Spike that he'd promised him to the faeries over a hundred years ago?


End file.
